The present disclosure relates generally to a method for distributed design and field service of a product and in particular to a method of developing and utilizing an electronic failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) for performing design and field service of the product.
FMEA is a methodology for determining the root causes of defects in manufacturing processes and products. FMEA can be applied during the design phase of a product or process to identify potential fault modes or defects that may cause product or process failures. The FMEA methodology emphasizes defect prevention by examining all potential causes of a defect; the likelihood of these causes occurring and resulting in the defect, and ways of preventing these causes from occurring and resulting in the defect. The causes of defects in products may be defects in components that may be caused by sub-component defects. A typical FMEA includes a hierarchical list by component type of what happens to the overall product and the component when each part of the product fails. The hierarchy can include levels such as major division, system, sub-system, assembly, sub-assembly and part. The risk of potential fault modes are prioritized based on an estimated frequency of detection and severity. The probability of certain defects may be estimated by applying statistics to product or process histories. Otherwise, probabilities may be estimated based on experience.
Typically, in product or process design, an individual or a team is assigned to create a FMEA report or document. Team members can include representatives from disciplines such as engineering, purchasing, finance and field service. Performing FMEA can require that several experts assemble in one location for significant periods of time to generate the FMEA data. In a series of meetings, team members brainstorm to develop a list of potential defects, their effects (e.g., severity), and potential causes of the defects. In addition, the defects are prioritized according to an estimated risk. One or more of the team members take notes during the session. The work is often divided up among the team members to be performed outside the meeting. The work performed outside the meeting is then discussed and validated in the meetings. The team comes to consensus on whether each potential defect and the effects and causes of the defect are correct, and how much risk there is for each. After the meetings have concluded, the resulting consensus information is gathered into a FMEA report or document. A typical FMEA report can contain hundreds of entries. Utilizing a paper process for generating a FMEA report can make it difficult for the FMEA report to be disseminated, maintained and updated. The FMEA team can also document suggested corrections to prevent the defects or faults from occurring during customer use of the product or process. This data can be added to the FMEA report. In an extension of the process the data in the FMEA is augmented by corrective actions for each fault mode, and the resulting chart is called a failure mode effects and criticality analysis (FMECA).